Aurarius
by Yuki ni Kanashii Ryuu
Summary: 3 years after the defeat of Sephiroth, the Planet has finaly begun to recover. But Cloud Strife struggles to overcome his emotional scars. However, a new threat emerges from the shadows of Project JENOVA. It wants revenge...and is after Cloud!
1. Prologue: Awake

Hello all! Yuki ni Kanashii Ryuu here and this is my first submission. I hope you all enjoy it and I'd like to get a lot of feedback (it may get me to keep writing. I'm rather lazy if I don't have any motivation! () ) That's about all I have for now, except for the bugging disclaimer...

Disclaimer: All characters from Final Fantasy 7 are copyrighted by Square-Enix and I do not own anything except my original characters (although, having Vincent in my possession would be nice...rowr). So yeah, don't sue me!

**Aurarius:**  
Prologue: Awake, the Nameless Power

"_Professor? What is my name?"  
__Professor Hojo of Shin-ra Inc. gave the little girl at his side hardly a sideways glance and continued to scribble down on the extensive lab report on his desk. He pushed his glasses father up on the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh that sounded more like a growl.  
__"How many times do I have to tell you, child? You have no name. Why should failures have names? That is what you are, after all… A useless failure…" He ended his sentence with an air of certainty, as if signaling an end to the conversation. The girl, however, was not satisfied with this response and continued to watch him with the ever inquisitive and demanding eyes of a child. Her brow furrowed overtop of her gleaming golden eyes, she seemed entranced in thought as she contemplated Hojo's words. She asked again, this time more forcefully.  
__"What is my name?" Hojo paused in his writing, his patience with the girl's questioning growing steadily thinner.  
__"If you are determined to continue being a pest, you shall get no dinner tonight." He said warningly, resuming his work.  
__"But…" she continued, refusing to abandon the subject, "I can't be THAT useless…After all, if I'm such a failure then why do you still keep me around? Why teach me how to use a sword and handle Materia? That seems stupid…"  
__Hojo's irritation had finally reached its peak. He threw down his pen with a clatter and stood up, advancing on the child.  
__"It is that VERY question that I ask myself every…single…day!" He bent over until he was eye level with her and brought his face so close she could feel the warmth of his breath as he spoke in a dangerous tone. "You **really** don't want me to answer that question, do you? I'd be more than happy to oblige." The girl did not answer and merely glared back at him defiantly. The strings of his oily black hair fell in front of his cold gray eyes as he sent her a warning. After a few moments of silence he stood back up and went back over to his desk, dismissing her with a wave. "Get out of here before I remind you how worthless you really are and lock you up again."  
__Realizing she wasn't going to get anything out of him, the girl slowly turned and trudged out bitterly, making her way back to the small, windowless room that she stayed in.  
_'_I'm not…really worthless…am I?' she thought as the door shut her once again into darkness._

(1 year later...)

08:23:00 – Entry by Hojo; Science Department Head, Shin-ra Inc.

In my attempt to recreate, expand, and even surpass the works of Professor Gast in the JENOVA Project, I have, so far, been unsuccessful in producing the perfect clone. My first few attempts were all but worthless, none of them surviving long enough to provide useful information. My next few experiments were slightly more productive, the specimens being infused, not only with Jenova cells, but with Mako, which yielded positive results. However, in the end, these clones were also failures. The one known as Cloud Strife, in particular, was an interesting subject but somehow escaped along with another. I still have yet to find his current whereabouts along with the one known as Zack. However, their retrieval is not necessary. They were not perfect clones and more than likely failures as well…

My most recent endeavor, only known to me and a select few, is so far unsuccessful. Experiment 00 has been subject to several errors from the start. I had not planned on 00 being a girl, for instance. The introduction of some new factors may have been the cause of this. Trying to overlook it, I continued with the experiment anyway. However, as of now, 00 has shown no positive response to any form of stimuli introduced. I have yet to uncover the reason why it hasn't worked and I'm beginning to fear another dead-end. Ironically though, out of all of the clones created thus far she is the most successful in terms of physical appearance, looking more like **him **than all the rest combined.

Although the girl is growing rapidly, she has shown no signs of hidden power or magical prowess. I have even tried exposing her to stronger substances than the last subjects and her count of Jenova cells is significantly higher. The only effect of this so far as I can see is her accelerated aging, her body already roughly equal to that of a 14-year-old. I believe she will reach full capacity soon.

Maybe she will still be of some use…

_She stood in front of the full length mirror, examining herself from every possible angle. She paid particularly close attention to her face, which was looking more and more womanly every day, along with the rest of her body which had developed pleasant curves. (She hadn't gotten knew clothes in a while though so her tank top and shorts were tight and ragged.) She wasn't sure why her body was growing so quickly, but when she addressed the question to Prof. Hojo he had assured her that it would level out once her body reached the approximate age of about 18. She didn't fully understand what this meant but it seemed pointless to try and pursue an explanation. Prof. Hojo never seemed willing to divulge information to her, even when it was about her own identity.  
__The part of her that she was most fascinated with, however, was not her body, but her eyes. From what she could tell they were very abnormal. Their golden color and mysterious glow were no doubt out of the ordinary. Her long, shimmering silver hair was another point of irregularity, but nevertheless beautifully stunning. They fascinated her to no end and she would often spend hours in front of a mirror examining them. She had nothing better to do, after all, then to just sit there and contemplate the mystery of herself.  
__Even though she had very little contact with the outside world, the few people she had seen looked nothing like her. Was she this different from everyone out there? Did everyone have a **name** except her? An identity? A purpose in life? Was she simply special…or was she nothing at all? Useless? No… She couldn't believe that. There had to be some reason she was alive. There had to be answers to her questions. So why wouldn't the Professor answer them?  
__Her bitterness towards Hojo had grown excessively over the years. His refusal to give her a name had no doubt contributed to this, as well as his stubbornness at never letting her leave the confines of the laboratory. Her curiosity was constantly growing stronger and she had often had thoughts of sneaking out to see for herself. Hojo never paid much attention to her except during her training sessions (which she still found rather pointless, but it was also the only thing in which she found any pleasure nowadays). It might be possible to sneak out seeing as Hojo was only one besides her who lived in the laboratory. Maybe she could…  
__As if on cue, the voice of Hojo came through the intercom on the wall. She had been so lost in thought that it made her jump.  
_"_Get down here! It's time for practice!" Came Hojo's sharp command. He didn't even let her reply before the intercom clicked off again. She growled lightly under her breath. He was always ordering her around. It wouldn't kill him to say please, would it? She let out a heavy sigh and marched out of the room with her arms crossed. _

_When she entered the room and looked around, the Professor was nowhere to be seen. The area in the center of the room had been cleared away as usual for sword practice, and a number of swords and weapons had been lined up along the far wall. However, Hojo had seemingly disappeared. The girl placed her hands on her hips and struck an aggravated pose.  
_'_Huh…He could at least have the decency to actually **be here** when he calls me,' she thought irately. She sighed and walked over to the far wall, picking up one of the swords. She already knew enough about it that she didn't need him here to supervise. In fact, she preferred it this way. She wouldn't have to look at him.  
__On her way back over to the practice area she glanced over to the far left of the room where a long control panel covered with dials, keys, screens and monitors stretched across from one wall to the next. The lights on the panel were actively blinking and it appeared from the things displayed on the monitors that Hojo had been in the middle of something before he left and forgotten to turn it off. She stared at it for a few moments until she was so drawn by curiosity that she moved across the room to the main screen upon which a written report of some kind was displayed. She look back over her shoulder briefly to make sure Hojo hadn't come in, then she turned back to the report and started to read.  
_

**"Project 00 is not progressing the way I had hoped. While her physical and mental capabilities are substantially higher than a normal human's, she is still nowhere close to the level of power and aptitude of Sephiroth……"**

(Later...)

_As the laboratory began to crumble around him, Prof. Hojo managed to make his way over to the control panel. He punched the 'record' button and through the chaos and destruction going on behind him, began to speak._

_"As of now…this will be my last report on Project 00…"_

(End of Prologue)


	2. Chapter 1: Eyes that Watch From the Shad...

Hello again, and welcome back! Since I already had Chapter 1 finished, I figured I'd put it up anyway. I'm hoping to get some feedback soon so I can keep on writing! Please R&R!

Disclaimer: Characters and places from Final Fantasy 7 are copyrighted by Square-Enix. Only my original characters are owned by me. (hides Vincent Valentine in her closet) There's nothing here...you didn't see_ anything_...

* * *

**Aurarius:**  
**Chapter 1**: Eyes that Watch From the Shadows

"Don't tell me….that you're leaving _again!_ So soon? Why can't you just stay still for a while? You know how much Marlene misses you! How much I…_we_ all miss you, Cloud…" Tifa Lockheart followed her sentence with a heavy sigh. She gazed up at the Mako-blue eyes of Cloud Strife as he stood in the doorway of 7th Heaven.

"Can't be helped," was Cloud's short reply as he shouldered his sword casually. He paused and watched as Tifa's eyes narrowed threateningly. He shifted uncomfortable under her gaze and took his eyes away from hers, focusing them instead on one of the cracked floorboards in the corner of the room. Tifa's eyes were the only things that ever made him nervous in that way. Now it was his turn to sigh, breaking the awkward silence. "You know I have to. It's my job, after all."

"Putting yourself in danger isn't what I'd call a job," Tifa replied sharply, placing both of her hands on her hips. "Getting yourself killed…it isn't going to make her come back, Cloud…" At this remark Cloud stiffened. It had been three years since they had defeated Sephiroth and saved the planet from Meteor, but the physical and mental scars of the planet and its inhabitants still hadn't fully healed. Cloud had finally begun to recover from his own personal scars, but the process was slow going, and chances were that they would never fade completely. Because of this it was still a sensitive subject for him. Tifa was right that he was doing it for Aeris…but it wasn't the only reason. He was doing it for himself as well.

A year ago, Cloud had formed a strange and sudden alliance with the Turks, the most unlikely of groups to seek a truce with them. No one had expected Reno and Rude to show up at the steps of 7th Heaven seeking a partnership with Cloud Strife who had not but two years before been their bitter enemy. Reno had claimed that the Turks were willing to cast aside old differences for the sake of a new cause, one that concerned both parties. Ever since the death of President Rufus and the fall of the once mighty Shin-ra Inc, the Turks had dedicated themselves to investigating any suspicious activity that arose in the area and putting a stop to it before it became a threat. Mostly they only had to deal with small, young-blood rebel groups and occasional public disturbances, but once they got a hold of some of Prof. Hojo's old reports and research on Sephiroth and the JENOVA Project, they also took it upon themselves to look into any activity that could have even the slightest connection to the lost experiments and the Ancients. After what had happen three years ago they couldn't take any chances.

This is where Cloud came in. Starting the year before, they had come to ask for his help in investigating any rumors concerning Jenova and the Reunion, and anything that could potentially signal another uprising. Even the smallest whispers among civilians and townspeople could not be ignored. So for the last year, that was Cloud had been doing. He entered into the contract with the Turks hesitantly, but figured it was all for the best and might actually be the answer to his plea for redemption.

"Tifa…you know I'm not in any danger. I'm only making investigations and quelling small, insignificant disturbances. If its Reno and Rude you're worried about, I honestly don't think they could possibly profit at all from attacking or killing me now that Shin-ra is gone." He looked back at Tifa, wanting to look her in the face before he continued. "I know…that Aeris will not come back, and I've already accepted the fact that she doesn't blame me for what happened. I'm not looking for her forgiveness; I'm looking for everyone else's…and my own. Besides…I believe that it's the right thing to do."

Tifa did not reply and stayed silent, but her eyes softened and held a hint of remorse as she was obviously regretting bringing Aeris into the conversation. She hated seeing Cloud in pain. Even though her heart yearned for him every time she looked at him, she knew that she couldn't force these things on Cloud since his heart was still an emotional wreck. Was she being selfish in trying to keep him here all the time? She shuffled her feet nervously and forced a small smile on to her lips.

"So…where are you going this time? What's the job?"

"There was a small disturbance in Kalm. A civilian was attacked and killed in his home two days ago and Reno thinks it's worth looking into. It was rumored that the dead man used to work for Shin-ra and he figures it might be the work of an Anti-Shin-ra organization that's still clinging to the past."

"You mean…like AVALANCHE?" Tifa teased. Cloud's face twitched in amusement. He decided he wouldn't mention it to Barret. He shook his head lightly and let out a small chuckle.

"No, it's nothing to worry about. It shouldn't take long."

"Does it have anything to do with Sephiroth?"

"No," he replied, a little too quickly, while avoiding her eyes once more. This was not the entire truth. There had indeed been a murder in Kalm, and Reno _had_ suggested the idea of a rebellion. What he failed to mention to Tifa was the fact that several witnesses had reported seeing a suspicious, lone character leaving the man's home that evening. None of them had gotten a very good look, but they had all confirmed that the mysterious figure had long, silvery hair… This association was one they couldn't ignore. However, he cared about Tifa too much to make her worry. Nothing had been confirmed yet.

Tifa had raised her eyebrows at his blatantly hurried response but Cloud didn't see this as he turned and walked toward the door. "I'll be back in a few days. Say goodbye to Marlene for me."

"Goodbye. And Cloud…please, be careful…" Tifa wished him luck as he disappeared out the door. As she turned back toward the bar, she stopped short when she thought she heard what sounded like a small gust of wind from outside the shuttered window. She looked at it briefly and then shrugged, passing it off to her imagination. She sighed heavily as she looked back at the door through which Cloud had gone.

'Please come back…' she thought desperately.

As Cloud strode swiftly away from 7th Heaven and down along the alleyway, he was completely unaware of the pair of eyes that were watching him from on top of a nearby roof. The owner of these eyes, a young woman, was almost completely invisible, shrouded in the long shadows cast by the full moon above. The only parts of her that could be seen were her flat-soled, knee-high boots and the tail end of a dark blue coat that was trimmed with gold. Her eyes, which were hidden behind a pair of dark glasses, followed the back of Cloud Strife until he disappeared around the corner toward the train station. As soon as he was out of sight, she chuckled to herself and spoke in a voice that was faintly musical and was as cold as the north wind.

"So…that's him, is it? The famous Cloud Strife… The defeater of Sephiroth and savior of the planet. The one responsible for toppling the tyrannical empire of Shin-ra and killing Hojo….yes, he's the one who killed Hojo…" At this the corners of her mouth twitched into a tiny, but wicked, grin. "I wonder…if he even put up a fight before he died."

Just then, a light gust of wind blew past her left side as a new figure appeared next to her as if by magic. This one had the physical appearance of a human boy of about 10 years, but the emotion in his deep green eyes told the true story of his age. His razor sharp teeth, elongated ears and six intertwined tails characterized him as a fox-demon, creatures of incredible longevity and strength. His soft brown tails matched the color of his hair, which was pulled back into a high and rather bushy ponytail, leaving only his bangs unchecked as they hung down around his eyes. He wore a pair of tight, black gloves, combat boots and navy blue military-style jacket and pants. He appeared next to the girl in a crouched position, his head bowed in servitude.

"Well?" said the woman expectantly.

"It's definitely him. He's heading for Kalm." The fox-demon replied.

"Kalm, huh? Hm. Looks like I've been found out…" she replied with a hint of amusement. "Oh, whatever will I do?"

"M'lady…you were planning on this from the beginning, weren't you?" the fox asked with a sigh.

"Why, of course, my dear Kitsuku! You need to have more faith in me sometimes. Everything I do is for a reason. If I hadn't _wanted_ to be seen then I could have very easily done so. However…he has reacted just the way I expected he would. Cloud Strife…he's such a boy scout. The stereotypical hero." He heard her laugh maliciously under her breath. "But for a hero he isn't too bright, is he? Any moron knows a trap when they see one. His chivalrous nature has blinded him. Always running around and playing superman, he'll jump at the chance to save an innocent life even if it's not profit to him or it's none of his business. Hm! Makes me sick… those guys are never around when they're _really_ needed."

In the shadows he saw her head turn back in the direction of the 7th Heaven bar. "But to leave that poor girl unattended and all by herself…that wasn't very gentlemanly of him was it, Kitsuku? I think you should go and keep her company…"

This time it was Kitsuku who smiled, his fangs bared in a sinful grin.

"Yes, ma'am. Anything in particular you had in mind?"

"You know the drill, Kitsuku. I'll leave you to it. Do whatever you wish as long as you don't kill her. She may be useful later. But see what you can find out from her. As for me…I must be off after our dear friend, Mr. Strife. He does not know it yet, but he and I have some… 'Unfinished business', so to speak…"

"You speak as if this one is different from the others. What makes him so special?" There was a hint of jealousy in the fox-demon's voice but he suppressed it so as not to sound insubordinate.

"The one in Kalm was merely a leftover. A nothing. In fact, I believe I did him a favor by putting him out of his misery. But this one…" she remarked, pointedly, indicating Cloud, "He is a lot stronger than the rest of them. He was the one rumored to have saved the Planet. A person who was able to defeat Sephiroth…he is not one to be taken lightly. Besides…" On this word she paused and slowly rose to her feet, pulling herself out of the shadows as she removed her glasses, revealing a pair of stunning golden eyes that shone brighter than the moon and a set of long silver hair that seemed to give off a light of its own. Her shapely lips were set in a permanent cynical grin on her ivory-colored face.

"One does not easily escape the vengeance of Sephina Aurarius…"


End file.
